Thursday, February 25, 2010

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So. It's pretty safe to say that anyone that reads this knows that Sundays are my "me" days. Sundays are my days to do what I want to do. Things for myself. Make my bags, work on personal projects, projects for friends etc. It has become my ritual.

With the addition of yarn to our inventory, I decided it would be cool to make fabric bowls and baskets to nestle the skeins of yarn into. Cool idea huh? Except it's just one more thing to add to the list of things to do! And I'm okay with that, because they turn out really neat. The books came in today that teach you how to make these nifty little crafts.

Another thing I've been wanting to do is make myself some CLOTHES. I haven't made myself clothes, well, ever! I have made two skirts, years ago and they still don't have the waistbands put in them. I ordered the pattern from Amy Butler for the Anna Tunic, which also came in today. It's a great pattern. You can make a tunic, cami, dress, mini-dress or... wait... maybe that's it. Anyway! I have a bunch of fabrics that I've ordered and I'm kind of getting burned out on bags. Besides, my Amy Butler LOVE bag I made is my favorite and I'm going to carry it until it falls apart.

So. Here are the two things that I really, really, really want to do this weekend:

I'm just dying knowing that this is my last weekend before surgery and I don't get a "me" day! Why don't I get a "me" day? We're doing inventory. 'Nuff said? Yeah... I think so!

But hey, speaking of inventory, here's a few bolts of Blush that came in from Moda yesterday!

The red and teal also match perfectly with Figgy Pudding. Luckily we still have some left because I adore it! I just needed something to go with what hasn't sold out! And ALL of it goes with FruitCake, which will be delivered... ummmmm, I don't remember when but it'll go with it when it gets here and that's all that really matters, right?

As of right now? I have nowhere to put this fabric, or the 75+ other bolts we have stashed in the classroom. Hopefully after inventory/rearranging/organizing this weekend (cross your fingers we get it all done!), these tasty treats will have a home.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

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In what universe is it okay to walk all over someone's quilt top?!?!

"I thought it was a rug..."

Really? It looks like a rug? You walk into a quilt shop and see $100+ dollars worth of fabric that took 75 or so hours to cut up and then sew it back together and you think it's a rug?? I can see how you'd be confused! Unfortunately this isn't the first time this has happened. Sigh.

So after spending the first hour of my morning ripping out and re-piecing the last row of the CLC (because I noticed in my pictures that two blocks were turned the wrong way), I then got to spend the next two hours cleaning snow and mud off of it. :(

All is not lost, my loveleys (Lovelies?). It is now hanging on the lattice on display. And I am attaching the binding to the masterpiece! And when I'm done with that, I will finish (?) trying to fix my catastrophic boo-boo on my SYTYCQ entry. Stay tuned!

Monday, February 22, 2010

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When I woke up this morning I was convinced that by lunchtime I'd be a worthless pile of flesh crying in the fetal position. Maybe just knowing that the source of all my pain and misery for the last 15 years will soon be gone is enough to make it more tolerable. I don't know, I don't care. But I do know that I had yet another super productive day! Two days in a row?? Too good to be true?? Apparently not.

I had two quilts that were quilted but needed to be trimmed, "drag" threads cut, basting stitches ripped out, etc. So that is how I began my day. I love this black and red one (more for the story behind it than for the quilt itself):

Now, this next one is pretty too. But I just have a question: Does everyone in the tri-state area bring their tops to me if they want stitching in the ditch? Because I sure do a lot of it!

After that was all done I quilted another throw-sized quilt with just a stipple, but still... it brings my count down to 68 on my list! Then I made 500 inches of binding and attached it to the stitch-in-the-ditch quilt above because this particular customer does *not* like doing it! Okay by me.

After all that it was still only 4pm. What to do, what to do? Oh oh oh! "I'll finish the CLC!" And finish the CLC, I did. Here it is!

The final piecing took 3 hours, so I quickly made another 550 inches of binding to attach to the masterpiece. Not sure when I'll get to that, though. Tomorrow I'm teaching a lesson on how to make a quilt, Ladders of Life by Kaye England. It's the second quilt I ever made, and it should be interesting because I made it a year ago and now I have to show someone else how! Here's a pretty terrible picture of it:

If the rest of my week goes anything like the last two days have, I think I need a raise! =]

Sunday, February 21, 2010

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I most certainly do feel like a princess after the ridiculously productive weekend I've had! I didn't get everything done that I wanted to, but that's only because I make crazy, unrealistic lists that I know I'll never complete but at the same time, I can dream. Right?

So yesterday I got to the shop bright and early after waking up late, of course and I was convinced it would be an awful day. Quite the opposite! I quilted a red and black quilt with black/white variegated thread and it turned out awesome! I don't have any photos of it yet because I haven't taken it off the frame... I had tunnel vision.

I refused to leave work until all 100 of my blocks for the Curved Log Cabin were done. I did it! Some of you will remember my crazy 40-hour-long-sewing/zombie-stretch. I've been working on it a little at a time ever since and last night, I finished all of the blocks right around 9:30 and laid them out!

Woohooooo! I have actually constructed 7 of the rows and took a picture of it, but my camera is downstairs and it's pointless when I have this picture anyway. :)

I'm so excited to get this sucker done! I had originally planned on working on it during my recovery time after surgery but then realized that I won't be able to bed down on the floor and arrange blocks and rows and such, so I decided I'd just finish it early!

Unfortunately I was so obsessed with working on the CLC, I completely blew off making and attaching the 500 inches of binding for the Masterpiece... I did get my blades cut for my Dresden Plate project I'm starting though!

I'm exhausted after all that sewing, and I do believe I will take a nap now (awful Idea at 6pm, no?). Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Before I get into a whole lot of nothing, I just have to say... that is the coolest clock I have ever seen and I think I need one. Perhaps I'll even make one?! That'd be fun!

So, we've all had those days, weeks, months where it seems like no matter how many rungs on the ladder we climb, at the end of the day we end up a few lower than when we started, right? That's how I'm beginning to feel. Don't get me wrong, I'm most definitely not complaining. Not at all. I probably would be if I didn't love what I do so much. However being so busy that you can't see straight really isn't that much fun sometimes.

I now have 1 week and 5 days until I leave for my surgery. I'm really starting to freak out. Today, as I was working on the quilt I have on the frame (measures 99x111 and is constructed entirely of 2.5 inch squares {except the borders} that the client wants all stitch-in-the-ditch) I was determined to get all of the SID done today. Which, I did accomplish. But in the process of working on it I had a customer bring in five quilts she wants done... bringing the grand total of my waiting list to s-e-v-e-n-t-y. 70! This is really quite the compliment to be honest but... seventy!

It's hard for me to have this many people waiting on my list because I feel like in some way, making them wait is letting them down. Everyone (mostly) is more than happy to wait, I just don't like for them to have to. But, at the same time I have to take a break every now and then to do something different for my own sanity's sake. Unfortunately now, when I could use the break the most is the time that I certainly can not!

Now, to add to the madness and just another thing for me to learn/do: We're going to carry yarn in the shop! I've been wanting to learn to knit for as long as I can remember, but haven't really had anyone to teach me. It took a nudge from a group of local knitters looking for quality supplies, and we're finally doing it. Yarn, knitting needles, books, the works. Of course we're starting out small and slow to get a feel for what everyone wants/likes but we really are expanding and it's exciting.

We are also now carrying 30s reproduction prints! (I've wanted to and finally ordered it)

We are also offering more classes soon!

We are also closing for a few days in the next month or two to completely rearrange the shop!

So many fun things happening and you know what? One day... ooooone daaaaay I'll be all caught up and wish for days like today where I felt so busy that I could just cry in the corner. =]

Thursday, February 11, 2010

You know... I can't even for the life of me remember what I did at work on Monday. It seems like it was ages ago! Stayed home sick on Tuesday, I do know that much. But Wednesday... Oh yes, Wednesday I finally got around to doing the first customer quilt with my new set-o-wheels. I am so happy with them it's ridiculous. No jerkiness, no stitching where it just takes off and does its own thing, my Bertha is completely obedient these days and I just have to share. Of course, you'll have to forgive me for apparently not being able to take a straight photo to save my life, but here it is!

Aside from it looking wonky (and I promise it's not), I think it turned out really well. I even took advantage of the opportunity to use some of my leftover MonoPoly thread from Superior and do some fun stuff in her applique:

Perhaps only a longarmer will notice, but I think it turned out just famously.

As you can tell, I'm reaching for things to write about as most of the things I'm working on are "secret" and I can't share them until after a certain date but I just had to say again how happy I am with my EdgeRider wheels and I highly recommend them to any/everyone with a longarm machine!

Maybe since I can't share much of what I'm up to, the readers that I do have should leave me some comments of what they're working on to give me more inspiration? =]

Sunday, February 7, 2010

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If you've been into the shop lately, you may have heard me cursing my longarm under my breath (or not-so-under-my-breath). Don't get me wrong. I love my Bertha but lately it has seemed like she's developed a mind of her own. There has been no controlling her, she does what she wants.
Because of this my wrists have been sore at the end of every day from trying to hold onto my handles for dear life and make her follow my orders. I knew there had to be something wrong. I just didn't realize how awry things had really gone!
The other day I was cleaning my wheels on the machine and going veeeeeerrrrry slooooooow. It was then that I noticed distinct grooves in three of my wheels and major corrosion on two more. I have no idea how this happened and how I didn't even notice. I clean my tracks and wheels about once a week so it's beyond me how they got this bad. Of course... I didn't even know just how bad they were until I took them off the machine. I'm ashamed to show this picture, but at least you will understand my troubles I've had for the past few weeks and why I've been a little grumpy:

Now, it should be said that this is actually one of the BETTER wheels I took off the machine! I replaced them with my new EdgeRider wheels and... HOLY CRAPOLA I think I could seriously play on Bertha forever now. I Pimped My Ride:

YAY!! It now stitches like a dream and I have complete control over it again. I cannot tell you how wonderful it will be and I will be saving a lot of money on Motrin and Aleve! (Of course... this combined with my upcoming surgery? I may have no use for Motrin or Aleve ever again! Wouldn't that be nice?)

So today when I went into the shop I fully intended to give these babies a run for their money and make them earn their keep. I have a customer art quilt I wanted to work on but when I took it off the shelf it instantly gave me a "blah" kind of feeling. I turned to my Amy Butler LOVE fabric, instead. I've been dying to make something out of it (as you know) and today... I did!

I wanted to make a new bag that had "cheer" written all over it so of course, the LOVE fabric was my only (or best) option. This is what I came up with:

Cute? Ugly? Tell me what you think. It's the first time I've ever used handles, I usually make them myself but thought this one was deserving... It also has three interior pockets and a magnetic center closure. It makes me smile. =]

Thursday, February 4, 2010

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I haven't been as good about updating this here bloggety blog as I said I was going to be. Unfortunately I haven't had a whole lot of fun stuff to write about. I've been kept busy on the longarm trying to catch up and prepare for the next month or two. And as far as updating the blog, it's only going to get worse!

For those that don't know, I am having surgery on March 4th and will be out of work for about three weeks afterward. I can't say how quickly I'll recover (everyone is different) and most importantly, when I'll be able to sew again!!!??? The thought just makes me miserable because I have so much to do.

During recovery I will have plenty (hopefully) to keep me busy... I have to do the binding on the masterpiece, which measures 115x133. So hand sewing the back of that should take quite a while and will be a nice "bed activity". I have an art quilt book to read and am going to at least cut a few projects out so that they're there if I feel well and think I can sit up long enough to make it worth sewing. So while I'll have PLENTY of time to blog, again, I won't have a whole lot to blog ABOUT. (I need to contact Leisel about when the March theme for SYTYCQ will be announced!)

Unfortunately this also means that I have to either cancel my March Sew-In (sorry DeAnn!) or at least postpone it until April. It really does pain me to do that because I look forward to them so much...

I had my appointment with the surgeon last Monday and I planned it so that I'd have a couple of hours to kill before I had to be to the clinic. Said clinic just happens to be a matter of blocks from the Great American Quilt Factory and while the shop itself isn't very large, I just sort of got lost in all of the fabric. They have Joel Dewberry... Amy Butler... Kaffe Fassett... Valorie Wells... so many designers that I just love. I kept walking around and always going back to that shelf where all of these beautiful fabrics were.

Now it's pretty much an understatement to say that I'm neither a floral-y nor pastel-y kind of gal. I like floral prints as long as they have funky flavor to them but traditional florals and I just don't mesh very well. Something about Amy Butler's LOVE line just screams at me every time I see it. I tried to stay conservative and bought 2.5 yards of a floral print and 1 yard each of two coordinates. Aren't they pretty?

I've decided that I need more so when I go back for my pre-op appointment I'm going to go nuts and NOT be so conservative because, well, I think I deserve it. I know that at the very least I will be making a bag and matching wallet out of this line (hello, Spring where are you?!) and hopefully a throw sized quilt design idea will pop into my head. This fabric just makes me smile because it's so "happy".

Speaking of fabric, we got a few bolts from Moda yesterday from the Oz line in the Sanae collection. I am pretty sure we ordered more than just these four bolts but for now, I can't wait to dig my hands into this exhibit of textile beauty and come up with something fabulous for it. I just love how the yellow is so muted and mustard-y with all of the super bright colors with a black background...

I know it's not everybody's cup-o-tea but it's MINE and I'm the one that gets to order it so neener! =]

There's the update from my little corner of the world. I hope everyone is doing well!